The Storm is Coming
by Herascat
Summary: Ororo was just trying to help him heal, when did it turn into so much more? RoLo, VERY smutty to start out.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men, but if I did Hugh Jackman would be my plaything. This takes place between the final battle and the last scenes where everyone seems to accept everything that happened then continues after the movie ends. It didn't really make sense to me that Logan was just ok with everything, I think that they skipped over parts of the whole team's healing process and I wanted to focus on Ororo and Logan. I also added Remy in so that Ro would have somebody to talk to, and I didn't see Origins before I started it.

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Ororo found Logan crying over Jean's body and placed her hand on his shoulder to offer comfort. The only thing she got in return was a snarl as he smacked her hand away. She pulled the stinging appendage to her chest and took a step back, he could be as nasty as he wanted, she wasn't going to leave him be.

"Wolverine, we need to get everyone back to the manor."

That seemed to snap him out of his stupor and he stood, wiping his eyes. Picking their way through debris Ororo and Logan gathered their students and go everyone back to the manor.

For days Ororo kept up her strong front, refusing to let her own grief affect the students and other teachers. She kept them all out of classes for a period to adjust to the new situation. Even Logan lacked the strength to keep up a strong front at the loss of Jean, so the burden fell to her.

Instead of getting past everything Wolverine just seemed to just lash out more at the people around him. He reminded Ororo of a feral dog trying to bite the hand of everyone, even people only wanting to help. Every mission they went on only seemed to make matters worse. His violence increased to the point he almost raised his hand to Marie.

It took Ororo only two days to come up with a plan to help him. Perhaps it wasn't the best idea, but it was the only one that would appease the beast in Logan as well as showing the man that he could still make human connections. As opposed to waiting for days after the plan was formed, Ororo followed him out of the house that night.

"Logan," She knew that sneaking up on him might not be the best thing to do, but she didn't care. As his hand closed over her throat she started having second thoughts.

When he realized it was her he released her throat even as he kept her pinned to the tree with his bulk. "What the hell do you want?" His deep voice was raspy.

She dove in head first. "This." She pressed her lips to his, using his shock to deepen the kiss and push her tongue past the seal of his sharp teeth. Logan's reaction surprised her somewhat. He grasped her hair in his fist and pulled her even closer to him for a moment before pulling away.

Ororo could feel his hand still in her hair as his pants brushed past her cheek. "Use me, let out all that anger, all that frustration on me. You know you need an outlet and I'm willing. I won't ever ask you for anything more than you're willing to give." His eyes reflected his unwillingness. "Pretend I'm Jean. Make her understand how she hurt you."

He kissed her then, roughly, and pulled her body flush against his again. His eyes were closed and for some reason Ororo felt sadness well in her, but she kissed him back. She didn't flinch when he ripped her shirt open down the front and refused to recoil as his teeth nearly broke the skin of her neck. Everything was for him. Her fingers gripped the edges of his shirt and ripped it open; buttons hit the ground with a soft thud.

As she tilted her head to the side to give him more access Logan took a step back. "I don't think this is a good idea."

"You can't stop now!" Her flushed face only held surprise as he pulled back from her.

"I think I just did." He replied, backing away from her even more.

Anger sparked in her eyes as she registered his words. "No." She lunged at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She boldly entwined her tongue with his; Wolverine didn't even try to push her away this time. He returned her kiss with a passion falling to his knees and clutching desperately at her ruined shirt.

He pushed her toward the ground, taking a position between her clutching legs, kissing and biting her neck. His anger only served to enhance her senses; she felt every bite mark on her skin and groaned as he sucked bruises onto her chocolate neck. She thrust her pelvis into his groin, reveling in the ragged groan it drew from his lips. "You bitch," he groaned, "You can't replace her." She let him continue to ravage her. His teeth claimed almost every inch of bare skin. She understood his anger, and she also understood that they needed each other.

His hands moved from her back to her waist feeling along the hemline for a zipper. When he found it the skirt was tossed into some unknown part of the woods, her satin panties were next to go-following the skirt into the darkness. He grabbed her wrists to keep her from touching his jeans.

Ororo could feel his grip through the sleeves of her shirt and she knew that bruises would show in just hours, but she didn't fight him. She was going to let him possess her. It was the only way she could show him that he had his power back.

Her shirt was gone and suddenly Wolverine had pulled her breasts from under her bra and was nipping at the newly exposed skin. As she started writhing he pulled away letting go of her wrists. Ororo moaned at the loss until she saw him unclasping his pants. Logan pulled his length out and she grabbed at his tattered shirt then remembered herself and dropped her hands above her head, once more letting his fingers dig into her hips. His first thrust was rough and she let out a gasp. Her hands flew up to clutch at his neck; her fingertips gently caressing the short brown hair at the base of his scalp as his member savagely entered her once again. She softly murmured her ascent to his actions and licked his shoulder and neck as he leaned down to bite her neck once again.

He pulled back suddenly looking into her eyes his guilt causing him to stop his thrusting. He saw understanding reflected back at him and she offered a smile pulling his mouth down to hers.

She let their lips meet gently at first and then let him lead as her eyes slipped closed. She felt his hands twist into her white locks and his tongue slipped into her mouth, coaxing hers to play. His thrusts turned gentle and slow eliciting even longer moans. Ororo felt the orgasm starting to build at her core. His mouth moved from hers kissing the marks he inflicted earlier almost apologizing to her soon to be bruised and marred skin. He pulled his hand out of her hair and used it to circle her clit. A strangled gasp of Logan's name escaped as her muscles started convulsing. Wolverine thrust one last time then let her walls milk him dry.

He collapsed to the side of Ororo pulling her body close to him and letting her drape her arms over his still clothed torso. She waited for his breathing to slow before lifting her head to look into his face. He looked so peaceful with his eyes closed and she leaned up to kiss him. As her lips met his, his eyes flew open and looked into hers. Her hand came up to cup his face running her tongue along the seam of his mouth then tangling their tongues together as his hands moved to her hips and pulling her up to straddle his hips.

He sat up pulling her body closer to his. Ororo pulled back from the kiss unbuttoning the last buttons on his shirt and kissing her way down his torso, letting the shirt fall to the ground. She pushed him back to the ground running her nails down his chest and leaning down to lave his nipples. He tangled his fingers into her hair; massaging her scalp as her mouth moved lower. She pulled his pants and boxers down over the semi-hard shaft leaving him nude and open to her appraisal. She lay down on top of Wolverine rubbing her slick folds against him kissing along his stubbly jaw line simultaneously.

He flipped them over, once again taking control. He sat back on his heels looking at her nearly nude form and appraising her injuries. He ran his hands over the bruises on her wrists bringing them to his lips. He kissed her wounds as she smiled up at him.

"I'm going to have to wear long sleeved turtlenecks for a week," she joked as he moved to her neck.

"No, I want people to see your neck. Just long sleeves." He traced one of the larger bite marks on her neck.

She squirmed as his lips and tongue started wandering over her skin. "Really? You want me marked as yours?" He growled in response and lent a slight nip to her collarbone. "As I recall, you wanted nothing to do with me not an hour ago."

Anger flashed through his face but quickly subdued as he noticed the impish grin she sported. "You're right. I'm not sure what convinced me to stay." Her smile faded and she moved her body, trying to wriggle out from under him. "Ororo, no. You're not leaving I was just kidding." When her face failed to soften, he gently moved her face to look up at his. "Ro, you gave me…you made me whole again." Her expression finally turned sympathetic.

He surged up to meet her in a kiss letting their tongues meet even as his lower anatomy started to harden against her core once again. "Thank God!" She wasn't sure that it was him who had spoken, but she smiled up at him. His mouth started moving down her body and straight to her core. She threw her head back and let out a breathy moan as he delved into her intimate flesh. He pried cry upon cry from her throat until her muscles clamped onto his fingers and tongue as she screamed his name.

He kissed his way back up her body and plunges into her depths as her muscles still fluttered. She cried out hoarsely and moved her teeth to grip the juncture of Wolverine's neck and shoulder as her sheath once again started convulsing. He stilled as she came down from her orgasm and closed his eyes to keep from loosing control. Her jaw released his skin and she fell back to the ground her body nearly boneless. He lifted her hips off the ground to nestle her pelvis seamlessly against his. Wolverine started thrusting into her, pulling her pliable body to straddle his as he lay back. Ororo lifted her shaking hands to his shoulders and started rotating her hips and then lifting her body to impale herself on him. He grasped her breasts lightly gliding his thumbs over her nipples as she continued to ride him.

As he finally tensed under her, his abdominal muscles contracted and his fingers pinched down on her nipples. He thrust up once more before spilling his seed into her womb and feeling her clench once more around him as waves of orgasm overwhelmed both of them.

Ororo's body slumped forward falling onto Wolverine's chest her breath ragged against his throat. He rolled her onto her side and when saw that she was no longer conscious he cradled her against his body listening to the storm her emotions had summoned in the distance. After several minutes he picked up his jeans and retrieved the rest of their clothes. Once he had found everything and put his pants on, he went back to Ororo.

He used her skirt to clean their combined juices from her legs, pulled her satin underwear back up her legs and lifted her limp torso to help her into his shirt buttoning the few buttons left. He picked her up bride style and moved toward the manor. Logan deposited her in her bed just as the storm reached them. He took one last look at her lit by her lightning and walked down the hall to his room.

Ororo woke feeling sore everywhere and more exhausted then she could ever remember feeling. Why hadn't she realized why she wanted to help him? Tears came to her eyes as instantly as the idea of loving him came to her mind. Damn her and her stupid misguided emotions for falling for the most unavailable man she could think of. Maybe if she hadn't offered herself to him last night she would never have figured it out, but when he had looked so guilty about possibly hurting her it had clicked.

Stiffly she got herself out of bed and moved to the shower. She was back in bed when Marie came to look in on her an hour later. As soon as she heard the knock on the door she moved the sheet over her neck to cover the dark bruises of Logan's hands and teeth. "Come in." She called when she was sure everything was covered.

"Miss Munroe, I was just coming to see if you were up yet. You weren't downstairs. Are you alright?" Marie seemed to take in her state for the first time since walking in.

Ororo contemplated getting up and starting classes for a moment before speaking. "I'm really not feeling very well. Would you please ask Hank to take over my class today, I'm just not up for it." Marie nodded and thankfully left without saying anything else.

She couldn't bring herself to leave the bed even when Hank and some of the other students came up to check on her. It was only when Logan showed up with her dinner that she allowed the covers to fall and sat on the edge of her bed. She tilted her head questioningly when he let out a loud gasp.

"Did I do all of that?" He set down the tray he was carrying and moved to her side. His fingers ran over the bite marks flowing from her neck down her chest to the underside of her breasts. And the bruises just a few shades darker than her skin that ran over her wrists and her thighs outside on her hips and inside where his hipbones had collided with her flesh over and over and over… His fingertips gently ran over the dark skin as he appraised each injury he'd inflicted on her flesh.

"What? You think I went out and let some other man touch me after you." The need to be flippant was immediate. She didn't want him to touch her so gently, she couldn't take it. So she stood and pulled a robe over her. "I told you to use me as an outlet, don't look so guilty." She looked straight into his eyes. "I'll be here for you, whenever you need me and whatever you need me for."

"And if I told you that I wanted you right now…?" She noticed the rapidly growing bulge in his jeans before lifting her eyes to watch his features. "All I would say is please don't hit any of the bruises." With that said she walked back to the bed and stood at the footboard dropping her robe. She bent over the foot of the bed and spread her legs enough so he could see the wetness glistening between her thighs.

The rasp of his zipper was loud in the silent room and Ororo felt him move into position behind her before he made any sound. Slowly, as if savoring the sensation, he started entering her inch by inch. He was slow this time as if only thinking of her pleasure, his fingers rubbed against the bundle of nerves at her opening as he continued to guide himself into her flesh.

This time the orgasm that ripped through her was like waves crashing along the shore, continuous and cresting. She shivered under Logan's slumped body for what seemed like an eternity as he wrung ever bit of pleasure he could out of her body. At long last her vision cleared and Logan stood.

"I…Thank you, Ro. I need to go downstairs now." He watched her roll over on the bed and lift heavy lids to watch him leave.

Ororo blinked away the tears that were gathering in her eyes. She realized now that she would do anything for him no matter the cost to her and she would never tell him how she felt.

And so it went, the visits that Logan made to her in the first month were short. He rarely wanted to talk, merely used her to relieve stress when he was on the verge of becoming to violent. The first month was the hardest for Ororo, but by the next month she had learned to contain her feelings. He was never going to reciprocate the deep running feelings she had, but she didn't have to make it apparent either.

Three months and thirteen days after their first night Ororo left the bed that she and Logan had been sleeping in and snuck back to her room. There was already a suitcase waiting by the door so it only took a few minutes to make it outside. Hank was waiting by the car she would be taking out of town. He and Remy were the only two who knew she was leaving and Remy was the only one who would be able to get in contact with her.

"Are you sure that this is what you wish to do, Ororo? We could really use you here." Hank opened the door to the silver sedan for her.

"Thank you Hank, but I'm not Jean. I can't hold everything together with sheer force of will. I simply can't do it any longer." She gave Hank a small smile and closed the door behind her. His figure rapidly disappeared in the rearview mirror.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I know that both Ororo and Logan are OOC but if you've read this far then you don't mind. Also, mistake last chapter, for some reason I mentioned Scott which was really stupid of me but it's corrected now. Sorry this is short, but I thought that I would try separating this chapter from the next one; hopefully the continuity will be better this way. Plus you get a quicker update.

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Logan stretched his arms out to his side and instantly opened his eyes when he touched cold sheets. There was supposed to be a warm body lying next to him, a glance at the clock confirmed it was too early for her to be anywhere but with him. He growled deep in his throat and sat up. It was way too early for him to be up after…after the late night he'd had with Ororo.

She had been right in saying that she would never ask for more than he was willing to give she had actually never asked for anything from him. And over the weeks he had become more and more uncomfortable with how subservient she was. She was powerful, even her tribe had called her a goddess, too powerful to be offering herself up to an animal like him whenever _he _asked for it. So he had started shifting things.

It wasn't as if he'd ever left her wanting in the pleasure department, but he started to push her more toward a normal relationship. He'd ask her out to dinner and she'd decline, he'd try to put himself in between her and danger on missions…that, he'd learned really wasn't a good idea when she fried his ass with a lightning bolt. He tried to ask her about her past and was willing to reveal what he knew of his past.

None of it had mattered.

He pulled on jeans and ran from the room. She'd been overly affectionate last night, as if all the barriers she'd built up had crumbled. She had kissed him with the same fervor she had the first night. The door to her room posed no problem but the sight that greeted him was. Her bed was stripped down to the mattress and the only things beside furniture in the room were several boxes.

Logan felt a rush of understanding flow through him. They hadn't met anywhere aside from the greenhouse and his room for the last two weeks and this was the reason why. She had been planning on leaving for weeks now-the epiphany hit him like a ton of bricks. His claws extended and he was slashing through the mattress where he and Ororo had slept and made love countless times. Mattress filling and bits of coils rained down on the floor as the beast in Wolverine vented his rage.

Within minutes the piece of furniture was nothing but bite sized pieces that surrounded Logan's kneeling form. He couldn't help crying at the immense sense of loss that hollowed him out. It was different than when he had lost Jean-that had been rage. This, this was emptiness, a permeating loss that left him feeling weak and broken.

What had he done? Past the rage and sadness was a guilt that he couldn't explain. She had been happy before him, what had he done that would make her leave the family she'd had for so long. Had he pushed her too hard? They hadn't had enough time for him to convince her that they could be something more, but he had tried his damndest.

He moved toward the boxes and used his claws to rip the tape open. Ororo's scent wafted out of the cardboard and the scent of sandalwood and orchids brought him back to his knees. His claws retracted with a snikt and he wiped the remaining moisture from his face.

Pulling one of her shirts out of the box he stood and moved out of the room, closing her door behind him. His room was still filled with their mingled scent and the smell of sex and sweat. He sat on the bed trying to soak up Ororo's presence before it dissipated into the atmosphere. The sun rose over the horizon as Logan watched through the window.

It was in the moment that the flaring globe crested the tree line that an idea came to him. Nostrils flaring he dressed as quickly as possible and rushed from the mansion following the last remnant of Ororo to the garage. One of the smaller cars was missing and her bouquet disappeared in the layers of motor oil and gasoline. Another scent was quickly loosing strength and made him snarl. _Hank!_ Wolverine ran back into the building, following Beast's scent the whole time.

The blue mutant was already in his classroom when Logan slammed the door open. "Where is she?" He snarled and slammed the door shut behind him.

"Whom?" Hank removed his glasses and looked at Wolverine.

"Ororo. I want to know where she went, I know you saw her off now where the hell did she go?" Without even realizing it adamantium slipped out of the back of his hands.

The glasses slipped into his pocket. "She didn't tell me."

"Bullshit!"

"No, I never even asked her, she merely told me that she was leaving and I saw her off." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Though that wasn't before she said something about not being Jean, that she couldn't keep doing everything." Hank lifted his puzzled gaze to Logan's dark eyes.

He nearly reeled back as the words hit him. "She said that?"

"It was something along those lines…" He watched Wolverine's reaction with interest. There had to have been a reason for Ororo wanting to leave and the way Wolverine was acting might have something to do with it.

Logan swallowed hard and turned from Beast. "Did anyone else know she was leaving?"

"I don't know of anyone besides me who knows. She and Gambit have been talking lately but I really don't know."

His shoulders slumped as he walked back up the stairs, his claws sliding back into his hands. The scent of orchids was gone when he finally arrived at his room. He didn't have a class to teach for another few hours so he lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.

"_Ro, when is your last class?" Logan had his arms wrapped around her torso as she stood in front of her desk._

_She let herself sag into his embrace for a moment before turning and pulling away from him. "I have a few student meetings after the last class but I should be finished by five." _

_He gave her a feral grin. "Do you want to go out to the lake for a while tonight?"_

_She was going through papers on the desk, her eyes trained on the pages in front of her. "If that's what you'd like for us to do." She only glanced up when Logan let out a frustrated breath._

"_Yes." He hissed through clenched teeth. "I would like us to go down to the lake. Why don't you meet me there when you finish." He was gone before she could reply._

_Why did she always have to do that? Differ to him as if her opinion didn't matter. It was frustrating. A glance at the clock told him that he had a few hours until she would meet him, maybe a surprise picnic would put them both in a better mood. So he gathered food and a few bottles of water before heading out._

_When she finally walked into the clearing that they occasionally met at Logan had a blanket with food spread over the center waiting for her. The smile that she gave him was well worth the effort put into the surprise. "Logan this is beautiful."_

_He grinned at the compliment, pleased that she was happy with the result, and motioned for her to sit next to him on the blanket. _

_They ate facing each other and for the first time since Logan had started trying to get her to open up to him Ororo looked completely relaxed. "Ro take your shoes off."_

_She gave him a questioning glance but complied, sliding the flats off her feet to the edge of the blanket. As soon as she had settled back down on the blanket he grabbed her right foot and placed it on his lap. Ororo gasped as she was momentarily thrown off balance then moaned as her thumb ran up her instep. _

_Every muscle in Wolverine's body went rigid at the sounds that poured from her lips as his fingers kneaded the sensitive skin of her sole. When her other foot fond it's way to his lap as well, Logan moved his hands to that appendage drawing a whimper out of his lover. His pants were so uncomfortable at this point that even shifting mad the zipper rasp against the sensitive swollen flesh of his erection._

"_Ororo…" His voice was hoarse with desire. _

_Her eyes met his, every ounce of her desire and want was conveyed through those dark orbs. One of her feet ran over evidence of his desire massaging the bulge for a moment as he leaned back. The moment his eyes slipped closed she summoned a wind to tip her over his body and rubbed herself against the hard lines of his body._

_Wolverine growled as she pinned his arms above his head, her fingers closed tightly over his thick wrists. He wasn't about to protest though, she was actually initiating contact with him and it was terribly refreshing. When her legs moved so she was straddling him he couldn't help the instinctive thrust his hips made into the juncture of her thighs._

_Their lips met and Ororo moaned into the kiss, letting Logan's tongue slipped in to meet hers in a sweet exploration. When air became necessary she pulled her lips away and trailed them over his neck and down to the spot where his pulse throbbed. _

_His hips thrust into her again as her teeth sank into the cords of muscles at his neck. Her hands flew from his wrists down to his shoulders to hold on for dear life as he ground against her. Her skirt had ridden up over her hips and was bunched around her waist. His hands moved right under the fabric and grabbed the sides of her underwear._

_Pleasure flared through Ororo and she tossed her head back and whimpered in sweet agony. The next thing she knew there was a ripping sound and the cool air touched her now exposed flesh. Her hands moved down over his torso to the spot where his jeans started. "Be still." And he obeyed, his hips stilling under her. _

_Staying still became almost impossible as her fingers moved under the waist of his pants and unclasped the buttons to free his erection. She didn't even push the jeans over his hips before sinking down on his length and the zipper rasped against her swollen flesh every time she sank down on him. Her fingers wound through his and pressed his hands deeper into her hips._

_Ororo rode Logan leisurely at first but as the pressure in her core built her movements sped up. Soon she was bucking against him with as much force as he was thrusting into her with. As her orgasm ripped through her Ororo froze mid thrust, her muscles contracting and capturing him as he shuddered beneath her. She moved their joined hands to her waist and slumped over his chest._

_Logan pressed his lips to her temple and waited for his breathing to even out. Ororo shifted to lie at his side and they both felt him slip out of her. He groaned as the cool air met wet, naked flesh. They shifted so Logan held her back pressed to his chest and kept their still intertwined fingers nestled around her body. Twenty fingers stroked over the flesh of her abdomen._

Neither of them had said a word as they lay there and as Logan lay on his bed he regretted that decision. He should have told her that it wasn't just sex; he should have told her that she had come to mean more to him than anyone that he could remember. As his eyes opened again Logan took a deep breath. There wasn't anything that he was going to be able to do about it today. It wasn't as if he had any idea where she might go or who she might stay with.

He got up from the bed and went to the shower, painful as it was he sluiced off the scent of Ororo and dressed for another day.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm so very sorry it's been so long since my last update, the Navy hasn't been leaving me with much time. This should be the conclusion so I hope everyone enjoys.

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The call from Moira only cheered Logan up slightly. It had been over 7 months since the Professor's apparent death, so hearing that he was actually alive and well was a pleasant surprise. It wasn't quite enough to ease the ache that Ororo's departure had left in him, but it still brought hope to most of the mutants at the school.

Hank was the first to speak with Xavier, so it didn't come as any surprise that when Logan finally met with the Professor he was questioned about Ororo's disappearance.

"I don't know why she left and I don't know if she's coming back." A mental shield immediately went up at the mention of his lover's name.

"I didn't really expect you to, but Hank seems to think that you're somehow linked to her departure." Xavier didn't bother trying to draw any more information out of him, the stubborn look on Logan's face was enough to dissuade even the most persistent man.

Desperate for a change in subject Logan spoke, "Are you going to come back over the pond or are you enjoying Scotland too much?" It wasn't much but it was a pressing question.

The Professor recognized the question for what it was and allowed Logan the small victory. "Hank is arranging transport as we speak so if you would inform the students, I should be back by tomorrow."

At Logan's nod the Professor asked to speak with the rest of the team. The dark-haired man opened the door to the rest of the team and left them to their joyful reunion, wishing with all his heart it had been a different reunion.

Logan felt bereft after talking about the weather goddess and found himself climbing the stairs to her room. The boxes still sat where they had when she'd left, since Ororo had never sent for any of her belongings. Only the shredded mattress had been moved from the room. The urge to open one of her boxes and envelop himself in her scent was so strong today.

A vague feeling of unease slithered through him as he sat on the floor. It felt like something was coming, some life altering tempest that would rip apart the life he'd come to know. He left the room and locked the door so nobody else could enter. The Professor would be back tomorrow and things would eventually go back to the way they had been. Maybe the best thing to do would be go to sleep and not worry about any of it until tomorrow. He spared one more glance at Ororo's door he turned and walked down the hall.

He fell asleep in his bed as the sun disappeared behind the storm clouds rolling in and the smell of ozone…of Ororo invaded his nose. And he awoke hard and wanting with dreams of making love to Ororo in the rain still lingering in his head. He moaned the smell was everywhere, overwhelming his senses and leaving him panting for his lost lover as the dawn tried to penetrate the black clouds.

Logan spent all morning and part of the afternoon sitting in the library watching the dark clouds gather and multiply, but refuse to produce rain. He was still staring out the library windows when the Professor first entered the room.

Professor Xavier still looked exactly the same as he had all those months ago. There didn't even appear to have any lasting damage from his encounter with the Phoenix. All of this Logan noted as he stood and made his way over to greet the older man in the wheelchair. "It's good to have you back Professor."

"It's good to be back." Xavier studied the haggard Logan. It was clear he hadn't really been taking care of himself, the usually scruffy man looked even worse off than when he'd first arrived at the mansion. "How have you been Logan? I got the feeling that you weren't completely honest when we talked yesterday."

Logan forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "I'm fine, it's been busy without you and Ororo here."

Xavier could feel Logan closing off again and decided to change tactics. "Would you mind if I call the rest of the team in here so we can discuss how things are going to progress from here?"

Logan gratefully shook his head.

As the rest of the X-Men filed in to the room Logan kept his head bent. He'd been keeping his distance from everybody since Ororo left.

Ororo tried to let thoughts of Logan filter through her brain to dull the pain. For a moment she let herself believe that she was still there on that last night, lying next to him. The delusion was shattered when her hand met cool sheets instead of the warm hard body of her Logan.

She didn't have Logan anymore; she remembered leaving their bed that night with sudden clarity. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she fought to stay conscious. She'd never been very good at dealing with physical pain. Maybe somebody would save her...but her hand wouldn't reach the phone and she sent one mental plea out before she succumbed to darkness

As the Professor began speaking the rest of the team quieted down. They had been talking for a while when the Professor suddenly fell silent. He slumped over the armrest of his wheelchair and let out a great bellow of pain. Remy was to him in an instant with Logan only a step behind.

"Go to her now!" The Professor managed to gasp out. Remy didn't even pause to ask him what was meant by the statement before he was running out the door. Logan bent down to Xavier's side and let his claws slide out of his hands.

"What the hell is going on?" The Professor couldn't even hold his head up over the pain.

"I can't…" He took a deep breath and mustered all the strength he could to clear the agony from his head. "She just wanted Remy." His eyes were so full of sympathy that Logan pushed his chair away.

"You knew and you didn't even tell me, that whole conversation was a load of bullshit!" He stood and started walking away.

"She thought you didn't love her, that she couldn't replace Jean."

Logan stopped and turned back toward the other man, tears shining in his eyes. "She wouldn't let me show her, ever. She always made us about me and never once would she let me in." His claws retracted and he squatted on the ground. "She trusts him more than she trusts me, he knows where she's been this entire time and he knows that I know and won't tell me."

"Logan, they've been friends for a very long time, he's like her big brother. He doesn't like you because you hurt her,"

"And she broke my heart!" He yelled more out of emotion than anger, and he was out the door before the Professor could say another word, the rest of the mutants gathered staring at him in shock.

Logan was seeing red as he rushed out of the manor. He needed to get away desperately the feeling of being among the enemies was overwhelming. It took a few minutes, but when his vision finally cleared he found himself in the woods where Ororo had first approached him. The smell of the trees was different now than it had been.

It had been over seven months and winter was just beginning to break. He could smell the shoots breaking through the earth and it only made his longing more acute. Her smell was earthy, all sandalwood, ozone and woman. He needed to get away from the mansion for a while, maybe for longer than a while.

Nobody tried to stop him as the motorcycle rolled out of the garage, which allowed Logan to breathe a sigh of relief. His hair was plastered to his bare head in seconds and he welcomed the stinging water letting the elements comfort him as Ororo had.

The day darkened as he continued to drive, both the impending sunset and the darkened storm clouds coming together to block the light from the road. He turned the light on his bike on. As he finally started noticing his surroundings he found that he knew this place. He'd been through this town the last time he'd driven away from the manor. The question of how he'd driven for two hours without realizing it entered his mind but was dismissed. Lighting lit the sky as thunder boomed overhead. There was a burning smell in the air and Logan noticed that a tree had been struck. The thunder had masked the noise of the trunk splitting.

He saw a hotel close enough for shelter and mad his way to it because even if he would be able to survive the lightning strike, it wouldn't be pleasant. He parked the bike at the side of the building and slid off the motorcycle, his wet jeans sticking to his body. As he stepped out of the rain and onto the sidewalk he caught a faint familiar scent. The Cajun. Maybe it was just his imagination but the desperate hopeful side of him pulled him away from the lobby.

139. The furthest room down the row was where the scent ended, overlaid with a scent more familiar and beloved to him. He pressed his palm against the painted wood and inhaled deeper. Orchids, sandalwood and ozone, it had to be Ororo. Lightning crashed and another boom of thunder nearly covered the scream, Ororo's scream, from inside the room.

The door was open in seconds and Logan's eyes fell on Ororo's form. She was lying on the bed with Remy kneeling at the foot of the bed between her legs. She was propped up, he protruding belly prominent in profile. Remy turned to him, probably to throw him out but stopped when he saw Logan. "I need help." There was a desperate edge in his voice that had Logan at his side and the door shut immediately. He directed Logan to take Ororo's hand. The tension was palpable to him even through that small contact. There was so much blood on the sheets, but she still gripped him fiercely.

The shock at seeing her in this condition wore off as he started doing the math, "It's mine." He gripped her hand tightened letting the relief, sorrow and joy wash over him.

"Mon chere, Remy need you to push now." The contraction gripped her and Ororo pushed but Logan could tell that her strength was waning.

"Breathe darlin'." He kept talking to her letting her soak up support. A baby's wail finally broke through his voice.

"Her head's out," Ororo collapsed back against the pile of pillows, "I need one more push, chere."

She lifted her head to glare at him weakly but as the next contraction came she dutifully followed his instructions. The baby slid out of her body and into Remy's waiting arms.

For the first time Logan noticed a book on childbirth on the bedside table. He watched the other man tie off and cut his child's umbilical cord, then letting go of Ororo's hand he gently cradled the towel clad infant. He walked back to the bed.

Ororo's eyes were barely open, but Logan waited until her afterbirth contractions had subsided to approach her. He placed the child gently on her chest, keeping a hand on the small body to keep her from rolling off her mother. Ororo held the child close to her, fumbling with the shoulder of her sleep shirt before she felt Logan slide a claw between her skin and the cloth drawing ripples of familiar desire up her body. The cloth was split before she could gasp and her left breast exposed.

They were so much larger than he remembered; Logan couldn't help thinking as his daughter's mouth searched for the protruding nipple. She finally latched and started suckling with vigor.

"I'm glad she appreciates those as much as I do." Ororo's eyes snapped to meet his "We don't need to talk right now if you don't want to. I just want you to know that I missed you and I love you." His voice softened from its normal gruffness. He left her with the baby and walked to the bathroom to talk to Remy.

"I would never have let her go if I had known." Remy supposed it was the older man's way of saying thank you.

"I know that now." He turned to face Logan. "I'm glad you were here in time." Remy tuned back to the sink.

"Thank you for taking care of them." Remy froze. Logan walked away from the bathroom stopping at the bedside to gaze down at the two females on the bed. Ororo had fallen asleep with her arm around the sleeping baby. He looked around the room and spotted a bassinet by the window. He pulled it to the bed and picked up their sleeping daughter to place her in the crib.

"Ororo might like to be clean." Remy handed him a hand towel covered in warm water and walked out the door leaving Logan gazing down at his best friend.

Logan heard the door close behind him and took the pile of towels out from under her, gently wiping the blood and remnants from her thighs and legs. He made sure the area beneath her was clean before covering her with a warm blanket.

It was a moment before he decided to strip off the still damp clothes he wore and crawl into bed with the woman who had left him almost six months ago.

Through the discomfort Ororo rolled over to Logan, his chilled body cooling her aching muscles. For the first time in a long while she felt utterly content. "I love you too."


End file.
